New plan for ‘ghost site’ after 19 years empty
DEVELOPER AND CINEMA OPERATOR ‘STILL COMMITTED’
FRESH plans are being drawn up for a ghost site in Gwynedd that has been empty for nearly 20 years.
The 90 acre Parc Bryn Cegin in Bangor was built in 2000 as an industrial park but failed to secure any tenants.
Then in December 2015, Liberty Properties Developments Ltd were selected by the Welsh Government to create a 400-job cinema and restaurant scheme at the entrance to Parc Bryn Cegin, Bangor.
But while a cinema operator has been secured and is keen to move ahead the developer has failed to entice restaurant brands with many of the national chains now closing sites and halting expansion plans.
This has seen the company start to draw up new designs for the site after discussions with Gwynedd council and Welsh Government, who own the site.
It could see more facilities added to the site to turn it into a leisure hub – including a 10-pin bowling alley and activity centre.
Emyr Williams, development director with Liberty, said: “We remain committed to the site and are now working with Gwynedd council and Welsh Government to draw up new designs for the site.
“The restaurant market is challenged so we have to make changes to the current plan.
“The cinema operator remains committed to the scheme and to a 40,000 sq ft site and we are now looking at a plan to bring in other leisure activities alongside this.
“This could include a bowling facility as there has been a renaissance in this in recent years and also an activity centre, creating a leisure park with the cinema at the centre. This will see the number of restaurants on the site reduced from six or seven to perhaps three or four.”
The new designs are expected to be presented in March.
There has been frustration about a lack of progress on the scheme, with Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams, and AM Siân Gwenllian putting pressure on the government to speed up the project.
Siân Gwenllian said: “Not a single job has been created at Parc Bryn Cegin, despite the millions of pounds invested to develop the site over 18 years ago and promises of over a thousand jobs being created.
“It has taken repeated questioning and sustained pressure from Plaid Cymru and local people to elicit any interest from the Welsh Labour Government, yet we are no nearer to seeing any concrete plans.
“The interest shown by Liberty Properties is for just part of the 90-acre site.
“Parc Bryn Cegin has of course been recognised in the North Wales Growth Bid as a strategic hub for business development and I urge the Welsh Government to actively promote the site to bring much-needed, highskilled jobs to the area.”